Sounding hurt and disillusioned, Anderson broke his four-day silence yesterday, saying he “deserves” to be in Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens’ rotation and believes he’ll be traded if he’s kept at his current role of benchwarmer.

Asked about a trade, Anderson said before the Knicks hosted the Spurs last night, “Nobody should be mad at me for wanting to play. I’m making too much money for them to want me to sit on the bench.

“What did I do to be taken out of the rotation?” Anderson said. “I’ve worked hard since I’ve been here to earn my minutes. No one’s said anything to me about what I’ve done to be taken out of the rotation. Be a man and tell me.”

Anderson’s league-high streak of seven years and 543 consecutive games ended Friday in Atlanta and he had disappeared since. Anderson wouldn’t comment after Friday’s game in Atlanta, then was sent home with a migraine headache before Saturday’s game vs. Miami. The Knicks were off Sunday, but Anderson was sent home again before Tuesday’s practice with his lingering migraine.

Since Wilkens took over, Penny Hardaway has been installed as backup small forward. Anderson, who has played 13 minutes the past five games, including his DNP and migraine absence, is baffled and being shopped by Isiah Thomas.

There’s a suspicion that any player tied to GM Scott Layden is persona non grata at the Garden. Layden not only drafted Anderson in Utah, he traded for him three years ago. Thomas was recently offered Toronto’s 12th man, Lamond Murray, for Anderson but doesn’t appear interested. He still hasn’t turned down the Raptors’ offer, however.

“That’s above my head,” Anderson said. “I have no comment on that. But I’m not content to be the 12th man.”

Anderson still looked horrible yesterday and admitted his absences were caused by “a combination of things.” Anderson has battled migraines through his career and has sat out second halves of games because of the discomfort.

However, he never had missed a game because of it until the day after his streak ended. Anderson also said the cold weather after returning from Houston and Atlanta made him run down. But jangled emotions could have been his biggest malady.

For his part, Wilkens said Anderson still will be used, noting the matchup against Atlanta was bad. Wilkens said he could’ve used Anderson vs. Miami, especially when Allan Houston sat out the final quarter when his aching knee forced him to the bench.

“Until I say a guy is out of the rotation, you shouldn’t presuppose that,” Wilkens said. “You never know when you’re going to be used and everybody should be ready. We’re tying to win games. You can’t play 12 people.”

One excuse Wilkens made recently was he didn’t know much about the veteran Anderson’s game. Anderson, in his eighth season, was incredulous to hear the statement.

“It’s not like Don [Chaney] ran a lot of plays for me, but I’ve worked hard to get where I was,” Anderson said. “This is the NBA. There’s tape of every game I’ve played. You can see how I play.”

Chaney liked Anderson because he was the team’s only instinctive transition player. Occasionally, Anderson could be seen streaking downcourt open but no Knick was alert enough to find him.

“Everybody’s saying we want to go up-tempo,” Anderson said. “That’s my M.O. I want to get into the open court. Now that we’re doing it, I’m not involved in it.”